Alanna
Chapter 18
Disclaimer: All characters and plot belong solely to Tamora Pierce! The rest are just the ramblings of an insane idiot- namely me.
Dedicated to: Sam- for being a loyal reviewer! :)
(Help)
Thom carefully lifted the hem of his cloak off the floor, afraid to dirty his garment. The floor was stained with the muddy shoeprints; caked mud and soil stuck between the grooves had come loose and were left stranded on the doorstep. Calmly, Thom raised a pale hand and knocked on the door. The sound that emanated from his action was neither strong nor loud- however, it was sufficient and the sound of his knock reverberated around the inn, enough to silence the rowdy chatter of drunken man and the cheery spirits of the woman.
The door was open by a beefy man who looked at him suspiciously. Thom could not help but understand their predicament- The inn of the Dancing Doves rarely saw any new borders. In fact, it was the headquarters of the thieves and was hence not a place that any normal civilian would venture to. Truth to be told, Thom would never have gone to such a place but his situation was too pressing and a little sacrifice had to be made.
"What do you want?" the man barked rudely, taking in Thom's immaculate attire and sophisticated air, which though blended in the castle, was strangely out of place here.
"I've come to see George… Cooper," Thom replied, hesitantly.
There was more silence. The inn had fallen into a mysterious state of quietness- the sound of slurping beer, noisy chatter and unruly laughter had subsided to nothingness. It was rather disconcerting. Obviously George did not receive many of such visitors.
"What is your business?" The man asked- his eyes intent and scrutinizing Thom's face suspiciously.
"It's regarding my sister. Alanna- or maybe you know her as Alan," Thom said smoothly, unfazed by the attention he was receiving. Instead, he stared back at the man with an equal force.
The man looked surprise for a moment, as did everyone, who had heard Thom's words clearly. Alanna of Trebond had been a common visitor to the inn. Everyone knew that she was good friends with George Cooper. Some of the original boisterous conversations resumed.
"You're her brother," the man exclaimed suddenly.
Thom nodded but was rather amused. All his life, people had told him that he and his sister were like two peas in a pod, no doubt, their built was different, but their physical features were the same. They shared the same face, they same hair and the same gift even. The man gestured for Thom to follow him and Thom did so.
The inn was built largely of wood- the tables, the bar counters and the various chairs were made sturdily and although were not expensive and as intricately designed as those that could be found in the castle, they were evidently hardy and durable. Thom weaved his way between the tables, where muscular men sat. Most of them were tall and well-built, some sported weapons, which Thom could see clearly, hidden beneath their cloaks or garments.
All of them turned to stare at Thom.
Thom ignored their gazes and instead, followed the man and climbed up a flight of rickety staircases. He came to a landing, where the man stopped and walked towards a door, which was bolted. He knocked and said, "A man's here to see you."
With that, the man turned to walk down, not once looking at Thom. Thom waited for a few seconds before the door was opened gently. Thom entered the room- where George was seated, sharpening his knife, his brown hair tousled and gleaming.
"You're Alanna's brother," he said. It was not a question- it was a statement. The king of the thieves was obviously an observant man.
"I need your help," Thom said, "Alanna's in trouble."
George instantly stopped whatever he was doing to turn and stare at Thom. He did not say anything and Thom took it as an invitation to continue. Without skipping a beat, Thom began to explain all the events that had taken place…
(Leo and Alanna)
Alanna stared at the body of the wolf; her heart had suddenly resumed its beating, though it was faster than normal. She took a few steps towards the carcass, her sword pointing at the wolf cautiously. Carefully, she used the tip of her sword to flip the body over- there was neither sound nor feel of breath coming from the wolf.
"It's dead," she said.
Leo nodded and suddenly noticed the gash that Alanna had on her arm. Concerned, he walked towards her and proceeded to inspect the wound. It had come from the wolf's talons, and fortunately, it was not deep. However, Leo insisted to drag Alanna to a nearby creek to wash the cut before binding it tightly with a piece of cloth, which he shredded from an extra pair of tunic he had brought.
Alanna rolled her eyes, "You're like my brother," she said, amused.
Leo gave a short laugh. "Are you alright?"
Alanna nodded. "I think we should move deeper into the forest- we may meet someone here at the outskirts."
Leo looked rather apprehensive but he agreed. The two of them packed up whatever they had brought, scattered mud over the remains of their fire and returned to their horses. Carefully, they guided their beasts deeper into the forest, before tying them to a tree trunk, which was blocked by a series of other trees and bushes.
They could not afford to bring their horses deeper into the forest. The path would get more dangerous and there would not be sufficient space to bring a horse in. However, they could not lose their horses too. For fear of being spotted, they had chosen the obstructed clearing they had found, with plenty of grass to tie their horses too. Hopefully that way, the horses could survive for a week or longer.
Alanna and Leo trekked on, all the time wary of their surroundings. Their encounter with the wolf had taught them a valuable lesson- they should never let down their guard and sleep could only be done in shifts. After all, they did not want a repeat event. In addition, the deeper they went into the forest, the darker, the gloomier and the more dangerous it was. They had no idea what lurked among the shadows of the trees. Alanna had heard of magical beasts that stayed here, however, whether it was just a myth or the truth- only time would tell.
That night, as the moon rose steadily in the sky and the sky darkened, Alanna fell asleep, curled close to Leo, who suddenly, in the spur of a moment, proceeded somewhat tenderly to touch her face. Then, the Shang gave a sigh, looked away, and began to keep guard.
It was going to be a long night.
(Roger)
Roger had sent out three of his best men to look for the sword. Rubbing his hands with anticipation, he felt satisfaction rise up in him. The Amayaa had been found- it was the opportunity of a lifetime, perhaps the opportunity of a few lifetimes. Should he have the ability to harness the sword, his dream could be complete. Total domination of Tortall and later, the divine.
That was how powerful Amayaa was.
Roger gave a bitter laugh. It was strange how his parents had always put him down, telling him that he would amount to nothing. Fate was irony- he knew that in his one lifetime, he would be able to accomplish more than what both his parents would have been able to do in a few centuries. They lacked the power, the motivation and the greed. If they found out what Roger had planned, they would probably turn in their graves.
All his life, Roger had been put down by his parents, belittled and compared to his perfect brother. Roger's childhood was nothing but a nightmare, and he was determined- he had fixed his mind on success in his adult life. He was not satisfied with what he had- being the greatest sorcerer in the land. No, Roger wanted more than that…
TBC- Please Read and Review!
Story ending- 3-4 Chapters more!
Please read my other Harry Potter fan fic: Vengeance